Baste and mop your food with flavorful liquids during cooking.

Whether you’re baking in the oven or grilling outside, basting meats or “mopping” (as it’s called in barbecue circles) with a flavorful liquid while cooking will bring out the best in your food.

Always make sure you cook to USDA-recommended safe internal temperatures. Want to know more? Check out the USDA’s official food safety education site.

• Baste meats with your favorite KC Masterpiece sauce or marinade during the last 5 to 10 minutes of grilling to maximize flavor (to avoid cross-contamination, use fresh marinade, not the marinade that was initially used for marinating).
• A great tool for grill mopping is a silicone-bristled brush with a long, angled handle. You can also use a squirt bottle or baster.
• Close the lid of the grill immediately after mopping so not too much heat escapes.
• If you’re using wood chips for smoke, allow the food to absorb the smoke with the lid closed for about 45 minutes before starting to mop.